Narendra Modi

It is still unclear whether the deficit target for the current fiscal year would be met or not, but a hopeful view could be taken for next year’s target of 3 % of GDP.

The next budget will focus on farmers, jobs in mostly rural areas and infrastructure while making every attempt possible to follow a path of fiscal prudence.
This means that the government may increase funding for the agricultural sector in the budget for the upcoming fiscal year 2018-19. This move of the BJP government is supposed to gather political support for the party in the countryside ahead of elections.
Government of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s won the election in his home state of Gujarat this week, but it was under the onslaught of discontent that was fuelled by falling incomes from farms and a hiking unemployment.
In 2018 and 2019, there will be eight more state elections in the country. All of these will lead up to a national election in the year 2019. On February 1 2018, Finance Minister Arun Jaitley is most likely to present his last budget, for the 2018-19 year that begins on April 1 2018.
Annual farm growth has decreased to 1.7 % in the previous quarter, mainly because of lower prices and output. The economic growth on the other hand has accelerated to 6.3% after growing at a 3-year low of 5.7 % in the same quarter.
The government can’t afford the anger of farmers anymore & from now on, will try to boost the economic growth and supply more funds to the agricultural sector. Arun Jaitley has signalled that his priority in this budget will be allocating more funds for rural and infrastructure sectors. According to another source, PM Narendra Modi would like to achieve 7.5 % to 8 % annual economic growth before the election campaign begins.
In the next fiscal, higher procurement prices will be offered for different crops following the fall in output this year. Apart from this, there will be extensive tax reforms, concerning the corporate demand to lower tax rates. By December 15, the government had raised almost $8 billion from the sale of shares in companies, which is more than 70 % of the full-year target. PM Narendra Modi, after pushing tax reforms like the GST, cuts in subsidies for the states and allowing more FDI in new sectors, now faces a challenge to create more jobs for millions of unemployed youths.
The allocations for farm and rural development ministries could be hiked in the next fiscal year by at least 20 %. The upcoming budget of 2018-19 is likely to enhance allocations for the transport and railways ministries by 1/4th. That is almost 1.5 trillion rupees. Finance ministry could also defer some expenses to the next fiscal year to maintain the fiscal deficit of current year at 3.2 % of the gross domestic product.
It is still unclear whether the deficit target for the current fiscal year would be met or not, but a hopeful view could be taken for next year’s target of 3 % of GDP. It is certain, however, that Prime Minister Narendra Modi will take the final decisions on the upcoming budget.

The recent visit of Prime minister Narendra Modi being the second to Kedarnath, Uttarakhand during the last 6 to 8 months and assuring the people of 17 year old Himayan state all possible central assistence including launching of four new schemes worth several crores for the entire facelift and modernisation of Kedarpuri, the precints around historic Kedarnath temple has been taken in the right spirits by the electorates of Uttarakhand who’d voted the Bhartiya Janata Party with an overwhelmingly historic majority in the elections held seven months ago compelling the ruling Congress bite the dust. The extensive Modi wave and the majoritarian saffron factor played a pivotal role in dethroning the Congress.

This was the first time in the Uttarakhand’s political history that any CM like Harish Rawatj lost from both the constitiencies he contested as MLA, though BJP’s former chief minister Retired Major General BC Khanduri too lost from his Kotdwar seat during the state elections of 2010-11. Prior to Prime minister Modi’s visit to Kedarnath the BJP chief Amit Shah had also visited the state and had given the certificate of good governance to the incumbent CM Trivendra Rawat and so did prime minister Narendra Modi. Trivendra Rawat is in the good books of Amit Shah and is his old crony, primarily a staunch RSSite having worked with Amit Shah in close proximity as the observer of Jharkhand and healthily contributing in the party’s victory in the last year’s state elections.

Trivendra Rawat, though being a less experienced leader got the advantage due to the intercine squabbles amongst the former chief ministers of Uttarakhand viz. Bhagat Singh Koshiyari, Dr. Ramesh Pokhariyal Nishank and Major General Bhuvan Chandra Khanduri, though two of the former CMs have crossed 75 years of age. But Satpal Maharaj who defected from Congress was also a bottleneck as he was also a strong aspirant for the CM’s post. But Amit Shah was interested to crown his yes man and sober, affable and non controvertial n above all a loyalist Trivendra Singh Rawat was the best bet. And Rawat replaced a Rawat.

Anyways, the core issues that favoured the BJP in Uttarakhand to come to power were alleged collaboration of the previous political regime with the liquor mafia, illegal mining on vast scale, the encouragement to the then land, building and transfer mafia, arbitrary sale of large tracts of agricultural or gram sabha lands to private builders and outside corporates to construct highly expensive commercial international institutions, mass scale influx from villages to cities to the tune of over 32 lakh people during the last 17 years, diminishing agricultural farming, over 3000 villages becoming empty with locks hanging in over 1.5 to 2.5 lakh houses of the different villages, closure of over 2000 primary and middle schools, rampant corruption in the funds of Rs 108 crores meant for the welfare and well being of the Kedarnath disaster victims of June 5, 2013 , massive lack of emloyment and health avenues including complete absense of the decentralised socio economic development right up to the district and block level.

About 8 chief ministers during the last 17 years ruled the state but the most emotional issue of Uttarakhand’s capital and appointment of LOKAYUKTA have not been resolved till date whereas the fact remains that only two political parties viz the Congress and the BJP ruled this himalayan state turn by turn. Number of scams came to fore during both the tenures but no body had been indicted or convicted till yet. Thanks to these governments for allegedly coming to each others’ rescue though both are diametrically opposite to each other, ideologically and otherwise.

An example is enough to prove home this point and i.e. in the matter of construction of mega dams in Uttarakhand, both the north and south pole looking parties and their respective governments’ of the centre and the previous Harish Rawat UK state govt. have given similar affidavits favorin them (large dams) in the Himalayan state at the cost of the peoples’ lives and the environmental health of the himalayas. When the BJP government formally took charge of of Uttarakhand with half of the council of ministers comprising of the Congress defectors it was felt that an upside down change in the functioning and delivery would be witnessed and experienced and pivotal issues like employment generation, appointment of Lokayukta, issue of state capital and hitting at the liquor, land and illegal mining mafia would be resolved and dealt with severely with government taking special initiatives to improve the agricultural farming, health and education sectors at the decentralized level by allocating more budget rationally. But instead the political dispensation at the helm seemed to be more interested in arbitrarily promoting liquor sale to the peoples’ door step to generate 2000 crores annually despite massive protests in various nooks and corners of Uttarakhand by the women power, MATRI SHAKTI.

Today the state of Uttarakhand is running a fiscal loss of staggering more than 40 thousand crores running its economy on borrowed money paying hundreds of crores as interests having no credible source of income generation to cover the vast fiscal deficit and run the state on its own. However the BJP CHIEF AMIT SHAH has assured press conference at Dehradun that the BJP LED NDA government raised the central funds in the five year plan and various other heads to the tune of more than ten thousand crores as a special case. However despite all this not much progress has been acknowleged except the over ambitious all weather roads project worth 12000 crores, railway lines to Karnaprayag, facelifting of Kedarpuri and provision of electricity to the remaining villages of Uttarakhand.

Though when would they be completed is still a big question mark? All these schemes are the central plans and require timely release of funds in a time bound manner. These long term projects once notified and passed by the centre need to be completed even if governments change. But it has usually been visualized that in certain cases in view of the change of governments the plans of the earlier governments get stucked depending upon the new government’s will to carry it forward or not. Let’s sincerely wish and hope that all the above projects get completed in record time so as to avoid any risk of their being stuck on the way in view of any unforseen political circumstances. In Uttar Pradesh several projects allegedly got stalled after the change of governments.
SUNIL NEGI

Prime minister Narendra Modi’s Gujarat allegiance and his love for Gujaraties is, these days being acknowleged in real actions in the form of rewards to the inhabitants of the state which he ruled as its Chief Minister for three times in succession and there can’t be the biggest reward ever, than an over ambitious project of worth 108 lakh crores in the form of an extremely hi tech bullet train from Ahmedabad to Mumbai with the financial and technical support of China’s bete noire and India’ s trusted friend Japan. This is not the first time that prime minister Modi has obliged the people of his state with such a precious gift but during his last year’s England sojourn/ tour he gifted the Gujraties with London to Ahmedabad Air India service, as well, that was long awaited.

Therefore, if we say that Gujarat, today is the luckiest state to have Narendra Modi as PM, would not be wrong or statement of over estimation. In addition to this, the Gujarat’s leading entrepreneur and an industrialist who also happens to be his friend and protagonist is also entering into the indeginous production of defence fighter plane with foreign collaboration “SAAB” of Swedan in the near future. There is not an inkling of doubt that though Narendra Modi is the prime minister of the whole country but his attention, allegience and concentration in the development of Gujarat is still on the anvil and in view of the fast approaching Gujarat election he does not want to loose any opportunity and chance to ensure the over all development of Gujarat.

That’s the reason that whether it was the visit of the Chinese president or the premier of Japan, including other heads of countries abroad, he never forgets to take them to his own state under the garb of visiting father of the nation Mahatma Gandhi’s land of birth, the state of Gujarat and his Sabarmati Ashram. Who does not know that after the completion of the highly prosperous Ahmedabad-Mumbai Bullet train project they’ll be primarily Gujarat and Mumbai who’ ll be largely benefitted by this Indo Japanese trade corridor, not the entire country. But prime minister Modi’ s efforts need to be complimented as even after shifting his power centre to Delhi after assuming the significant office of the Prime minister Gujarat and Gujraties are still his prime priority, the state and its affectionate people that helped and blessed him to be its chief minister for a long spell and later on the prime minister of the country by their resounding support.

Election bound Gujarat which happens to be Modi’s home state, in addition to the over-ambitious 108 lakh crore bullet train project will also benefit with Japanese financial and tecnological assistence. An agreement between Japan international coperation agency and the Gujarat maritime board for developing the Alang ship building board besides the establishment of two Industrial Parks have also been signed between both the countries

In order to counter the One Road One Belt initiatives both India and Japan will also strive to enhance their international cooperation with Asia and Africa with special focus on developing infrastructural projects in which Japan will invest heavily.

What’ seems to be special about the whopping financial aid of 88000 crores to India in the bullet train project is that Japan would charge a negligible interest of merely 0.1% annually which has been highly appreciated by prime minister Modi while addressing a large gathering of people at the inauguration function of this long pending project in Gujarat today.

Modi has always claimed to be a Hindu Nationalist and this fact reflects in his policies.

Modi is the first Indian Prime Minister to visit Israel. Under Narendra Modi India is following a shift from the Nehruvian paradigm to a fiercer Hindutva paradigm.

BJP’s contemporary political policy formulation is a paradigm shift driven by powerful Hindutva ideology. This has major implications for India’s domestic politics. There is an apparent increase in aggression and grandstanding, even if it comes at the cost of sustained diplomatic outreach.

One example is the current Union government’s Kashmir policy. In the past, the union governments were not only desirous of political reconciliation but were also tolerant of the dissidents in Kashmir. Today it is going to the extent of sending NIA after some of those very outfits which New Delhi had been courting and appeasing in the past.

Today we are more appalled by the lynching of Muslims by self-styled protectors of the Hindu religion, and not as much by the abject poverty around us. This is because poverty is part of our existing socio-political paradigm and we have come to accept and live with it.

Given the polarising nature of such a shift in paradigm, there are bound to be struggles between ideologies, battles in streets, divisions between regions, and revisits to the fundamentals of the Indian Union. In the worst case, it could lead to civil war-like situations due to ever mounting dissent and violence.

Those who resist this ideological paradigm shift must remember that these are driven by powerful ideologies and the only way to resist such shifts is to promote powerful counter-narratives.

PM Modi tweeted after the successful test of the indigenous Agni 5 missile by India.

According to American nuclear specialists, India is focusing on modernizing its nuclear stockpile with an eye on China and the nation’s nuclear weapon development which generally focused on Pakistan now seems to put expanded accentuation on China.

It is also claimed that India is currently building up a missile which can cover all of China in its range, from its bases in South India. India is also claimed to have stocked enough plutonium for 150—200 nuclear warheads but has only created around 120—130.

Taking note of that India keeps on modernizing its nuclear armoury with advancement of a few new nuclear technology only, it is evaluated that India as of now is capable of seven nuclear capable frameworks: two aircrafts, one ballistic missile which can be launched from sea, and four ballistic missiles to be launched from land.

India is assessed to have acquired roughly 600 kg of weapon-review plutonium, adequate for 150-200 nuclear warheads if all the material has been changed over into nuclear warheads. However, in view of accessible data about its nuclear capabilities and missile framework, it is gauged that India has created 120-130 nuclear warheads. India will require more warheads to arm the new missiles, which are under development at the moment.

The two stage Agni-2, which employs solid fuel and is easily transportable, is more capable than Agni-1, which can convey an ordinary or even a nuclear warhead more than 2,000 km. This missile system is most likely to be focused on southern, central, and western China.

The Agni-4 missile will be equipped for striking any target in almost all of China from north-eastern India. India is additionally building up the more long ranged Agni-5, a three-stage, easily transportable intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) which burns solid fuel. It will be capable for conveying a warhead more than 5,000 km. This range will enable India to build its Agni-5 bases in southern parts of the country, far from the influence of China, in the case of a conflict.

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi landed in Israel on Tuesday for a 48-hour visit. Modi’s visit to the Jewish country is the first by an Indian pioneer of politics. Him being a Hindu patriot, traditionalist and adherent to free markets, he has the benefit of extraordinary prominence at home, and according to many think tanks he is bound to be re-elected as the PM in 2019.

As per a rundown given by Minister of State to External Affairs V.K. Singh, in an answer to an inquiry, after first going to Bhutan in June 2014, Modi went to visit the U.S. four times, and Nepal, Russia , Japan, China and Afghanistan twice each. He has actually made 56 International visits since accepting charge.

Such a forceful attitude by the PM towards visiting to various nations as a method of strategy is a sensational change as compared to all the strategies adopted by the predecessors except the first Prime Minister of the nation, Jawaharlal Nehru.

Such visits are focused about building the brand India picture and to showcase our countries capabilities on international stages. To prove that Indian business visionaries with world-class ideas and visions possess the capacity to exhibit their ability and find genuine accomplices and resources to recreate their dreams.

The impact of such visits is a get together for mutually beneficial trade partners and political thinkers, for example, the Indo-Japan Trade Forum. The CEOs of various Silicon Valley based companies have also begun to show a lot more interest in our country as of late, most of which is directed towards Modi’s enthusiastic approach to ‘Make in India’ and ‘Digital India’ ventures.

The benefits of his International visits are of course boasted by all his supporters, but there is a group largely comprising of the opposition in India that claims that such visits are a waste of tax payer’s hard earned money. According to them the PM should focus more on the internal problems of the country. Modi, who is too busy to pay heed to such talks, will soon be making a trip to Germany, to participate in the G20 Summit in Hamburg.

Two points on which the Heart of Asia Conference revolves are : cross border terrorism in India by Pakistan and the participation of Sartaj Aziz, the Pakistan Prime Minister’s advisor on foreign affairs, secondly, the Islamic State attacks in Afghanistan when 60% of the country is under Taliban.

As India hosts the Heart of Asia Conference in Amritsar on December, senior officials from 14 countries including China and Pakistan will participate. In this meet, Prime Minister Narendra Modi will hold one-to-one discussion with Afghan President Ashraf Ghani where there is an apparent nexus between the Islamic State and Taliban and the latter controls 60% of Afghanistan. India has completed the delivery of the final Mi-24 gunship to the Afghan Air Force (AAF) to arm the Afghan National Defense and Security Forces (ANDSF) with more lethal weaponry.

Adviser Aziz announced that he would participate in the conference as Pakistan supports any initiative aimed at bringing peace and stability in Afghanistan and that it would be a “good opportunity” to “defuse the tension” between the two neighbors.

In spite of the fact that northern Afghanistan has strong presence of ISIS jihadists, President Ashraf Ghani also traveled to the Caspian Sea and gave an oblique hint of having cultural and ethnic relations with the Muslim population of Caucasus countries which are controlled by Russian minority population. Russia will also watch their interests in a prominent way.

The Afghan leadership therefore harbors ambitions about Caucasus as well as is showing itself to tackle ISIS-Taliban nexus.

Afghan officials have decided to ask China to play a lead role in the region for development and infrastructure purposes while proposing India to play a developmental role in the education sector.

Further elaborating his government’s stance, Ambassador Shaida Mohammad Abdali said, “Afghanistan is no longer a landlocked country in the practical sense of the term. In recent months, we have entered into several connectivity projects including Chabahar (that connects India with Kabul via Iran) and initiatives that will link our nation with Central Asia and Black Sea.

Ghani after assuming power in Afghanistan made clear his vision of including Caucasus region of Russia in the purview of Afghanistan connectivity and thus proximity to European markets. Meanwhile, Ghani appealed to the US to re-examine the 2016 timetable for withdrawing the remaining US led coalition troops from Afghanistan. But US-President elect Donald Trump policy on Afghanistan will be outlined after his inauguration in January 2017 with a hint that countries will have to foot their bills themselves for their security.

While accusing Pakistan of interfering in Afghanistan, Abdali said that Heart of Asia governments had agreed that implementation of non-interference in Afghanistan requires “resolutely combating and eliminating terrorism and dismantling terror infrastructure and acknowledging that terrorism is a threat to international peace and security.”

As India is witnessing terror attacks from Pakistan it also desires examination of terror activities and infrastructure from Pakistan and Sartaj Aziz will have to respond to India’s concerns in this regard.

This is one of the crucial meeting where India and Pakistan are participating as in August 25, 2014 the Indo-Pak Foreign Secretary level talks were called off after High Commissioner Abdul Basit held meetings with Kashmiri Separatists leaders where after terror attacks in India like in Udampur, Gurdaspur, Pathankot, Uri were witnessed.

Trump’s sudden call to Pakistan PM reflects his diplomatic and strategic way of rebuilding ties with Islamabad to alter the situation in the South Asian region when both India and Pakistan are nuclear powers.

Trump told Sharif, “You are a terrific guy, You are doing amazing work which is visible in every way. I am looking forward to see you soon. As, I talk to you, Prime Minister I feel I am talking to a person I have known for long.”

The conversation released by Pakistani authorities said Donald was “ready and willing to play any role that you want me to play to address and find solutions to the outstanding problems.”

Donald Trump’s detailed conversation is going to have serious implications when India and Pakistan share tense and highly militarized borders with each other. His action also revealed that his campaign remarks about his love for Hindus and India were just a casual remark.

Donald said “You are doing amazing work which is visible in every way” implies that Pakistan PM Nawaz has shown practical wisdom in handling domestic matters when military and ISI has been seen enjoying supremacy over civilian government in that country and also internationally gaining importance over India.

Already India-Pakistan ties are constrained due to increased number of terror attacks on Indian armed forces and ceasefire violations by Pakistani military along the LoC and the International border in the state of Jammu and Kashmir.

Chinese leader who has already talked with Donald after his wining the elections, must have spoken to him about the strategic and economic benefits of engaging with Pakistan.

But Donald’s haphazard way of speaking to leaders of 29 countries including Australia, Canada, China, Turkey, Israel, Russia and ignoring to speak with the Indian Prime Minister also shows his policy of seeing New Delhi for a petty and low role in his scheme of things. India should therefore guard against accepting any degraded role in the region.

Trump’s early moves of speaking with foreign leaders without assessing the repercussions also shows his immaturity in handling diplomacy and communication strategy in world affairs.

As a tradition the US President-elect is acquainted with the importance attached to different countries to bring about the desired changes in American policy.

Donald Trump has surprisingly win the Presidential elections and now he is the 45th president of the strongest nation in the world and now analyst say that Pakistanis are worried because they think Donald Trump will favor India more.

Recently the relations between Pakistan and United States have become sour because US accused that Pakistan shelters Islamist terrorists but Pakistan has always been denying this fact.

This year Pakistan and India also had strained relations due to Uri attack where 19 Indian soldiers lost their lives due to terrorists attack.

This is not it before elections Donald Trump even proposed that he will ban Muslims entering the United States and recent business ties with India are signs that his administration could shift further towards India.

It is expected that Trump is going to be a tough President than Hillary Clinton for Pakistan said by Askari Rizvi who is a foreign policy analyst in Lahore. He also thinks that India will have a better and smoother interaction compared to Pakistan.

Trump still have think about the policy for South Asia as till now he has not worked on the detailed policy but few days back he said that he can mediate between India and Pakistan in their dispute over the divided territory of Kashmir.

He also seems worried about Pakistan having nuclear weapons and told to the Fox news that he will deploy 10,000 U soldiers in Afghanistan because it is closer to Pakistan and it is possible that Pakistan may not be able to save their nuclear weapons from the militants.

On Wednesday US diplomat reassured Pakistani Government that they do not need to worry because their foreign policy is based on a national interest and they do not change when the Government changes. After this assurance from US Pakistani Prime Minister greeted Trump and released a statement stated “Your election is indeed the triumph of the American people and their enduring faith in the ideals of democracy, freedom, human rights and free enterprise.”

Still Pakistan is worried from the fact that Trump has become the president of the United States and feels that it is not favorable for them.

One of the Pakistani senators and former ambassador, Sherry Rehman said that Trump is a wild card and further said “Pakistan obviously cannot rule out engaging with whomever America elects, but his anti-Muslim rhetoric may cast a shadow on relations in times of uncertainty.”

Meanwhile Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi congratulated Donald Trump on tweeter and he tweeted “We look forward to working with you closely to take India-U.S. bilateral ties to a new height.”

Let us hope that Donald Trump will have positive attitude towards India as they are also facing the same problem of militants which India has been facing for a long time.